His army of demon mages would have to be strong and intelligent enough to withstand any magical attack, to counter each spell with their own, and understand and comply with his orders explicitly.
The entire task was complicated further by the fact that it required a corpse, no older than a month, to capture a demon. Older corpses tended to break apart at the crucial moment when the mages tried to insert the demon in its shell. It was a lesson they had learnt the hard way, and now only the freshest corpses were used for the purpose.
“My mages are scouring the kingdom, looking for any rogue mages that refuse to join the army. Once killed, their bodies will be brought here,” the king informed the master mage of the temple.
“Yes, your majesty.”
“Need I remind you that this work is crucial to the war, Ara? My demon mages will be invincible. No one will be able to fight them, and live to tell the tale. Even now my army of soldiers and mages is on the move, marching towards the last few kingdoms that border this side of the mountain. After we engage in battle, it is the demon mages who will tilt the fight in our favor. I need them as fast as you can make them. Send them to me, and I will gain immense glory for our people and kingdom.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Ara bowed. “I exist to serve you, and our people.”
“Keep in mind that should you fail in providing me with this army, you might find yourself at the mercy of these very demons you are trying so hard to capture,” said the king as he cast one final glance at the exhilarating spell that would shape the world according to his vision.
Ara gulped, panic leaping in his eyes. “Nothing will stop our progress, your majesty.”
Ignoring him, the king watched the circle of mages stop as they achieved their goal of birthing a new demon mage. He loved being able to witness this part of the spell. Unfortunately his presence was required elsewhere and he couldn’t always visit the temple to enjoy such occasions.
As the spell wound to a finish, four mages collapsed with exhaustion. The rest parted to make way for their creation.
Unmindful of the plight of his minions, king Vindha had eyes only for the tall, lean mage who stood at the center of the circle, swaying gently.
“Come forth,” ordered Vindha.
The demon mage lurched forward, the fiend within still not accustomed to the cumbersome human body that housed it. “Master,” it breathed out the word, almost as if speaking against its will. Its eyes burned with an unholy fire.
“The demons hate to be captured,” said Ara, sweating even more profusely as he eyed the new creature with unease.
Vindha grinned. “They may hate it, but they will obey. And that’s all that matters. I am taking this one with me.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Ara shuffled backwards as the demon mage followed his master.
The king left the room. Outside, a soldier handed him a towel dipped in cool water. The king washed his face and wiped his hands while his new servant waited for his command. Vindha looked around, and was surprised to find his oldest son, Areez, waiting for him.
“What are you doing here? Have you completed the task I entrusted to you?”
Areez stepped forward, his golden tunic shining in the afternoon light that filtered in through the high windows. “My spy is in place. It will be done soon. I heard you were coming here, and wanted to give you my report in person.”
“I don’t want any trouble from those traitors as we progress deep within the realm. Did you choose someone reliable for the job?” The king was gruff, because he didn’t like failure or delay and that too from his heir, the next emperor who would take the throne of the united world after him.
Areez grinned. “She is one of the best I have worked with, your majesty. Rest assured, all will go according to plan.”
The king nodded, slightly appeased by the promise. “Well, come with me then. I’m going to join the army as they march forward. Your younger brother is leading them, but it will serve the troops better to know the king rides amongst them. Also, I need to station the demon mages within the army, and they are to be given individual instructions.”
Areez walked behind the king, giving his report as they left the temple of the god Yuddha. The temple was built high on the mountains on the mainland. Its location was well-protected, and hid the important work going on within. The project was time-consuming and laborious but Vindha was willing to spend the necessary resources because it would turn the war in his favor.
He already had the might of his foot soldiers and mages, but now with the growing army of demon mages that danced to his tune, he was nearly strong enough to fulfill the dream his father had seen, and he had vowed to carve into a reality. Soon, the entire world would be his for the taking, and he would be the undisputed emperor who ruled over his subjects.
Chapter Three
Back in Iram, the castle was quiet, except for the guards outside the king’s room. Security was never a matter of concern in the kingdom before. No one ever believed there would be an attack. Iram had no enemies.
Now, everything was changed. Who was responsible for this act of violence against them and why?
The kingdom comprised a total population of twenty thousand or thereabouts men, women, and children. The people were traders, fishermen, farmers, and merchants. Some worked at the ruby mine that was owned by the king. The mine was of a moderate size, and offered a lucrative source of income since the king traded the precious gems for other commodities not available on the island. Iram boasted of no great natural resources or a big treasury to invite an attack. The assassination attempt made no sense.
Zo pondered over the reasons for the vicious attempt on Seve’s life as she followed Alicia to the library on the castle’s upper floor. Even as she fought to maintain an appearance of brisk efficiency, Zo felt a deep, abiding fear in the pit of her stomach. She was scared for both Seve and Alicia. If she lost them, her entire world would collapse. Unwilling to surrender to the unfamiliar feelings of hopelessness and despair, she tried to concentrate on finding a solution to their current predicament. Her focus on this goal would keep her sane.
She was always and foremost a woman of action, and in this situation her nature would serve her well.
The two sisters entered the library together. Large and circular, the library was well-stocked. It contained thousands of old and new tomes, carefully preserved through the decades. A well-defended fortress, no one could access it without the permission of the head librarian, Zima.
“Stop, right there,” a crackling voice greeted them as soon as they pushed open the double doors and stepped inside the wide room.
Zima emerged from behind one of the wooden bookshelves that lined the floor. To say she was old was an understatement. Long past her hundredth birthday, she was a stooped, wrinkled woman. The few strands of hair on her head were white, and tied in a braid that hung past her shoulders. Sunken cheeks and a leathery face failed to hide the intelligence in her beady, black eyes.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at them. “It’s late. The library is closed. Go away.”
Alicia took a hesitant step forward. “It’s a matter of grave urgency, Zima. We need your help.”
“Didn’t I just say the library was closed? Come back in the morning.”
“Hey!” Zo didn’t have the patience to deal with this nuisance. Over the years, she’d had quite a few verbal clashes with Zima and she was unafraid of invoking the old codger’s wrath, especially now when her brother lay dying in his own bed. "You can't kick us out. We are royal princesses, and we've important work to do here."
“Go away,” Zima repeated, looking decidedly unimpressed with Zo’s claims. “Leave me alone. Royal princesses indeed! Get lost, the two of you.”
“You?” Zo bit hard on her lower lip as her sister turned and gave her a pleading look.
Zo threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. The old woman was senile. Years ago, she should’ve been replaced with someone younger and far more
agreeable. But of course, she was appointed the chief librarian when the castle was built and no one, not even her brother, had the courage to ask her to leave the job.
“Zima, please.” Alicia pressed her hands together. “The king’s in trouble and we need your help.”
“The king’s dead.”
“He’s not…” Zo took a few steps forward, a murderous look on her face. How dare the old lady assume her brother had no hope?
“He’s not dead, Zima.” Alicia tugged at Zo’s arm, forcing her to stop.
“Dead, indeed. Buried him in the cemetery,” Zima announced and turned away. She ran her hands lovingly across one of the bookshelves and peered at the books, as if making sure her precious treasure was intact and lined properly.
“Oh, you mean, our father?” Alicia said.
“Who else would I mean, silly girl?” Zima turned back to frown at them.
“The new king’s our brother, Seve, remember? You were invited to his coronation a year ago,” Alicia reminded her in a gentle voice.
Zo resisted the urge to rush forward and shake the old bat. She was wasting their time. What did they need her for anyway? They could pull out the mainland maps on their own and be on their way. Alicia, however, seemed determined to soothe the old woman before embarking on their mission.
“Oh, yeah. Him. He’s all right. Doesn’t interfere in my work.” Zima scratched her head. “What happened to him?”
“He’s ill,” said Alicia. “Poison. Zo has to go to the mainland to find the flower of rosem.”
“It grows only on the plateau of Ibarjan mountain. Blooming season is a week away,” said Zima in rasping voice. “It blooms for a month and dies. The same cycle repeats every year.”
Alicia nodded her head. “Yes, that’s true.”
“Perhaps it grows here somewhere on our island?” Hope spilled in Zo’s voice.
“No rosem has ever been found on the island,” said Zima, shaking her head.
Zo bit her lower lip. If ever the flower was discovered on the island, Zima would have documented the event. If the head librarian had never heard of the flower being found on Iram, it left her with no choice but to go to the mainland.
“We need the mainland maps that show the route to the mountain of Ibarjan,” stated Alicia. “Zo will travel there to get the flower.”
Zima pulled at the lobe of her right ear. “There is a nasty war going on the mainland. Much carnage and havoc. She’ll die.”
“Of all the nerve…” Zo exclaimed, her patience snapping.
“Shh!” Alicia frowned. “We know that Zima but there’s no choice.”
“Bah! You don’t know anything, shut away in this small island. People who escape from the mainland, they come and talk to me. King Vindha has assembled a huge army. Every year his battalions grow in size and numbers. He has already conquered two kingdoms and is marching to the next one even as we speak. He wants to conquer the entire world, and unite it under his banner.” Zima snorted with a gleeful look on her face. “That boy! He always was so ambitious. Wanted to be an emperor! Bah! His father, that Sian, sowed the seed of this madness in his son’s mind. Now see where it has landed us all.”
Alicia and Zo shared a look.
Their grandfather, Asan, had escaped to the island more than four decades ago. Their grandfather’s twin brother Sian wasn’t the crown prince of the kingdom of Jiambra but his ambition was to become the king. After Sian tried to murder his own brother, but managed instead to kill their parents, Asan knew his only chance was to flee the mainland. He made the island his sanctuary and a haven for all those who wanted a peaceful life. For the past five years, Asan’s son Vindha had been waging a war on the neighboring kingdoms, perhaps in a desire to fulfill his dead father’s ambition to unite the world under his own banner.
Thus far the war was a fact far removed from their lives. Now it appeared Zo would have to venture into the murky world of the violent mainland. Not that she had a choice; her siblings depended on her.
“Can you tell us a bit about the mainland, Zima?” Alicia’s words mirrored Zo’s anxiety. “We’ve to ensure Zo’s safety, and if there is anything you can tell that will help us do that, we’ll be extremely grateful.”
Zima rolled her eyes. “Zima, I want this, I want that…there’s no peace for my old bones.” Abruptly she turned and walked towards the north end of the library.
Zo followed with Alicia. The old woman passed through a small door set in the far wall and entered a narrow room. The walls were lined with bookshelves that contained rolled scrolls and maps. She pulled four from one of the shelves and brought them to a table that stood in the middle of the room.
Unrolling a large map, she motioned them forward. With her bony finger she traced the path to a mountain that stood half-way inside the kingdom of Jiambra. “See here, that’s the Ibarjan mountain. To reach it you’ve to cross this chasm here. Better to go around this gorge since it is quite deep and strange creatures are said to live there. You will come across Vindha’s army stationed around here somewhere. They are on the march. Avoid them at all cost. Cross the forest and climb up the mountain.”
Alicia retraced the same path on the map.“This is the most direct route to the mountain?”
“Didn’t I just say that?” Zima snapped. “It’s possible to go around the forest, but that would add to the journey. In one week the flower will bloom, and it will fade away four weeks after blooming. So, you can’t afford to waste time on unnecessary detours.”
Zo sighed. She didn’t have the luxury of having five weeks at her disposal. It was crucial she came back before the binding spell ran its course, or else she risked losing both her siblings.
“Anything else you can tell us?” said Alicia as she surveyed the map.
Zima snorted. “Don’t go to the west as that’s the desert. Also, avoid meeting Vindha’s mages, if you can help it. They are always on the lookout for new recruits for the army.” She began to roll the map. “And mind the prophecy.”
“Which prophecy?” said Zo as she raised her hand to take the map.
Zima gave her a sharp slap on her wrist. “You’ll certainly not take it out of the library.”
Zo couldn’t quite believe the old lady had just hit her. She recalled the time when she used to come into the library as a small child, eager to learn new spells and read about old mages’ wars. She had received many slaps from Zima then.
“What’s wrong with you? I need that map,” she snapped. How dare Zima her as if she were a five years old child, out to steal her precious treasure?
“This one’s too big. Hard to carry in a pack, and it will get spoiled. I’ll give you a smaller one.” Zima unrolled another map. This was a cruder version of the original, made on a piece of oilskin as big as a square handkerchief. Zima marked out the same route she had shown them earlier. “See here, all the important landmarks are marked on this. Take it. And don’t lose it.” She thrust it towards the princess.
Zo folded the map. “What about the prophecy?”
Zima shook her head, looking even more exasperated. “Don’t you girls know anything?”
“Please tell us, Zima.” Alicia put her hand on the old woman’s shoulder in an attempt to pacify her.
Zima sighed. “When you two were born, a seer came to the island. She told your father about a vision regarding his children. One of you would embroil the kingdom in a great war. Many will be killed. Families would be disbanded. She couldn't see which one of you would do it but after hearing that, your father decided to weave the blood oath. He believed that if you three remained on the island it would not only keep you safe, but also keep the inhabitants of Iram out of harm’s way. Fat lot of good that spell will do now that you are breaking it.”
“Oh yes. I remember hearing something about that prophecy,” said Zo, ignoring Zima’s muttering about the blood oath. She didn’t believe much in prophecies or visions. It was an unpredictable magic, and hence not reliable.
“Z
o doesn’t have a choice, Zima,” said Alicia. “None of us do. If we want to save Seve, she must get the flower of rosem. It pains us to go against father’s wishes and break his spell, but we can’t abandon our king to his fate.”
Zima snorted. She shook her finger in front of Zo’s face. “Don’t you go stirring trouble, do you hear me, girl? Never knew one as impulsive as you. Alicia would do a better job, whatever it is you two are up to. She has a head on her shoulders. Alicia doesn’t act before thinking.”
Zo bit her bottom lip. “Yes, Zima.”
Alicia changed the topic. “How do you know so much about the war and the movement of Vindha’s army Zima?”
“I hear things,” said Zima with an odd sneer. “How do you think I collect all the new information that’s recorded in the library? You think it’s easy? I talk to everyone who goes out of the island and comes back. I write things down. It’s my job.”
Alicia reached out and took her sister’s hand in her own. “Zo, you’ll have to be careful. If the army is on the move, this could be very dangerous. More than we thought.”
“I’ll be fine,” Zo assured her sister and stuffed the map in one of the pouches that hung on her belt. “Vindha is nothing but a mad man.”
Zima grabbed Zo by her wrist. “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating his madness. Madness and genius are sometimes two sides of the same coin. Vindha is smart – always was. Everything he does is deliberately planned with great care and attention to detail. He has a way of eliminating his enemies without arousing suspicion. By all means, he is a formidable foe, and it wouldn’t do you any good to fall into his trap.”
Zo was startled by the almost fanatical gleam in the old lady’s eyes. Was she really that concerned about Zo’s safety? “I’ll take care to avoid his men,” she said.
Zima let go of her wrist. “You be careful with that map, girl,” she bit out the words emphatically. “I want it back.”
“Of course.” Zo nodded. The crone needed a break from the library. Perhaps, when Seve woke, she could persuade him to send Zima to a tiny village near the sea for a forced vacation. It would be nice to enter the library without fear of being insulted by its ever vigilant guardian.
The Demon Mages (The Power of Three Book 1) Page 3
